Archive for February, 2014

Talking to babies boosts their brain power, studies show. Reading bedtime stories to babies and talking to them from birth boosts their brain power and sets them up for success at school, researchers say.

Taken from Drums by James Boyd (first published, 1925) The time is about five years before the War for Independence. The place, North Carolina. Thirteen-year-old Johnny has been sent from his backwoods home to Dr. Clapton (a Church of England pastor) in the nearest city to be tutored. He had been homeschooled up to that […]

Penrod by Booth Tarkington Penrod Schofield is twelve and has been volunteered by his mother for “The Pageant of the Table Round” in which he is to play the Child Sir Lancelot du Lake. He gets himself into a mountain of trouble when he exchanges his gaudy costume of castoff silk stockings and flannel long-johns […]

Here is a link to an old encyclopedia called The Cyclopedia of Education. Although it was published over 100 years ago, there are a number of articles worth reading — they offer a different perspective from some of the modern encyclopedias. In particular, read the articles “Arithmetic” and “Arithmetic, Hygiene of.” Below is a quote […]

Here is a link to an old encyclopedia called The Cyclopedia of Education. Although it was published over 100 years ago, there are a number of articles worth reading — they offer a different perspective from some of the modern encyclopedias. In particular, read the articles “Arithmetic” and “Arithmetic, Hygiene of.” Below is a quote […]

Patience During the warm days when she was outside all day, we could see her there through the window often waiting by the house for hours, knowing that I would eventually come out, and she wanted to be there when I did. And of course, she would have her ball there expecting I would want […]

Life to Liesl was a ball game. Nobody liked to chase balls down and bring them back like she did. If Liesl were a man, she would have been a professional shortstop – maybe for the Cubs. She taught me a game where she would lay the ball down and then try to beat me […]